


Miscellaneous Oneshots

by Iridescent_Gleam



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Puns, Character Death, Comfort, Dancing, Drabbles, Early Mornings, Engagement, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Grim Reaper - Freeform, Happy Ending, LGBTQ, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Puns & Word Play, Reaping, Reform, Rewrite, Sanscest - Freeform, Ship Child, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Unrequited Love, self-negligence, unhappy relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25089352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iridescent_Gleam/pseuds/Iridescent_Gleam
Summary: This will basically just be a dump of content whenever I remember to post here. A lot of gayness is going down, ladies, gentlemen, and people of various other genders. Hope you enjoy my oneshots!(Just a note, none of these oneshots have any connection unless I explicitly state they do.)
Relationships: Error/Reaper (Undertale), Goth/Cray (Undertale), Goth/Palette Roller (Undertale), Nightmare/Cross (Undertale), Nightmare/Killer (Undertale), Reaper/Geno (Undertale), Rurik/Lotus, Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Kudos: 29





	1. Peaceful - Afterdeath

**Author's Note:**

> Just some morning cuddles between our favorite god of death and his glitchy husband!

Groaning, Geno shifted in someone's firm hold, peeking his eye open only to see a face-full of his husband's cloak. He just muttered something unintelligible and closed his eyes again, wrapping his arms around Reaper's torso and back to press his face into the familiar black fabric.

Reaper's body was already curled around the little skeleton and his arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. His head was halfway off the pillow and instead was almost pressed against Geno's. He acted as if he never wanted to let go of him. I mean, knowing Reaper, that could be the case.

Geno didn't mind the clinginess. Surprisingly, it made him feel happy and loved. Just knowing Reaper was always going to be there with him lingered in the sensation. Stars, he couldn't remember the last time he truly was happy before he met Reaper or how long ago that was.

He found it difficult to go back to sleep, but since Reaper looked so comfortable the way he was, he didn't dare get up to be the one that disturbed that. He sighed and found himself pulling his face out of Reaper's cloak and looking up at the god. He smiled a bit and rubbed his back, studying his face carefully.

This was one of the only times Geno saw Reaper truly relaxed, when he was sleeping. The taller didn't sleep that often before he met Geno and still didn't really. The glitch was helping him with that problem by only allowing him to have certain amounts of coffee per day and giving him a strict sleeping schedule. Of course, sometimes he had to work late, but he was able to work around that for the both of them.

He snickered quietly when he heard Reaper mutter something about tacos stealing all of his cans of corn before going on to say how he would eat them until nothing was left but the crumbs. Sometimes, he wondered what the h*ll was going on in his lover's mind. Now he knew.

After a few minutes of more nonsense mumbling, Reaper shifted and yawned, peeking his eyes open to gaze upon his boyfriend, who was still doing his best to try not to laugh. "Gen...?" he asked, confused and curious. This didn't help Geno who finally lost it and just let out all the laughter that had been held back for a few minutes.

The tacos had been brutally murdered, sadly. Apparently anyway.

"Why tacos...?" was all he was able to get out before his voice being drowned in laughter once more. "Tacos...?" Reaper mumbled, utterly confused by Geno's antics. "What about tacos, babe...?" "Y-Y-You... Y-You..." he stuttered, trying to regain his breath from his laughing fit. "Y-You w-w-were brutally m-murdering t-tacos i-in your sleep f-for... for st-stealing your corn..."

Reaper groaned and just pulled Geno closer to him, hiding his face in his neck. "I'll brutally murder you for stealing my heart..." he muttered, slipping his hand under his lover's nightshirt and gently tracing his spine. Whether that was done with the intent of getting his lover to let out his sweet sounds or not wasn't exactly clear. Either way, Geno wasn't happy with it.

"Reaper!" he squealed as his hand came in contact with his own spine. "You know better than to do that!" Another scold was on the tip of his tongue, but he was shushed quickly by the god. "Geno..." he whispered, letting his black eye sockets close again. "Just relax, love..." "Relax?! Are you cra- mmph!"

Teeth came in contact with his own, which quickly shut Geno up. As soon as his little lover went silent, however, he pulled away. "Just go back to sleep... I'm still tired..." "Reaper, you know-" "I know... I know... Gimme another hour or so..."

Reaper sounded so tired that he couldn't refuse the god sleep. So, rather begrudgingly, he quieted down and pressed himself into his husband's chest, inhaling the nice scent that came from the still-clean cloak. Too bad it would probably be ruined that day when Reaper went to work.

"Night, Gen..." he muttered, letting his hand go limp as he fell asleep once more.

"It's morning, dumbass..." Geno retorted, before smiling widely and letting himself be dragged into the land of sleep with Reaper.


	2. A Dance in the Garden - Afterdeath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a small drabble-esque oneshot.  
> The plot is that it takes place the night Reaper proposed to Geno.

"Take my hand, Geno..." Reaper whispered, a smirk gracing his features as he gazed down at the small tsundere, dressed up all nice in front of him. "Come on, you promised me, love..." The shorter skeleton looked up at his fiancé, huffing indignantly, as if trying to hold onto some sort of pride. "I didn't promise that, idiot. You just want to make me believe that." "Genoooooo......"

As much as the glitch wanted to argue with Reaper, he knew the other really wanted this. Then again, he was the worst dancer in history and was extremely clumsy. A shame too, because he hated to ruin the lovely suit Reaper had bought for this occasion.

He looked down at the sapphire ring on his hand, wiggling his finger a bit still getting used to the feeling of it being there. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Geno looked back up at his lover and sighed, his cheeks reddening. "Fine..."

Reaper's eyes clearly presented glee and without even waiting grabbed both Geno's hands, laughing a bit. The smaller skeleton looked back up at the other, smiling as warmth filled his soul at how happy his lover seemed. "You're lucky I love you, you damn asshole..." he muttered, no annoyance or anger in his tone. Just gentle and kind love.

"I am," Reaper confirmed, nodding. "So very lucky..."

"Shut up."

"Yes, sir."


	3. A Heart That Just Needs to be Opened - Afterdeath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some classic Afterdeath being Afterdeath~!

Two figures were lone in a blank void...

Grasping the small hand his own, Reaper looked down at the beautiful, sleeping skeleton who was resting on his shoulder. Geno was sitting quietly in the small grass patch in the Save Screen with Reaper floating a bit of distance above it. The cloaked skeleton was talking aloud to himself as the glitch slept, being very careful not to wake him up. He was murmuring many words, most describing how much he loved Geno, what he would do if/when he was finally able to leave the Save Screen. If they started a life together somewhere else...

He was smiling softly as he held the warm, skeletal hands, feeling happiness seep through him. This is what he desired after a long day of work. Just Geno...

"I love you..." he uttered, smiling as the shorter skeleton muttered something in his sleep. It wasn't a response, but it was cute nonetheless to see him do something like that. "You're starting to become like me, hun..." he joked softly, rubbing his thumb across the ridges in Geno's hand. Reaper was infamous for talking in his sleep and had been caught multiple times by his lovely boyfriend doing so. He guessed he would just have to tease Geno about this later. "I wonder what would happen if you weren't such a tsundere..."

It was a thought as he pictured Geno's flushed face and another one of his empty insults being thrown at him. "I guess I wouldn't try to pursue you as much, would I?" It was true. One of the main reasons he still kept his flirty attitude and retorts after he was rejected several times by Geno is because he _knew_ Geno liked them, despite him insisting that he didn't and still doesn't. Even if he let it slip that he did, he wouldn't admit to it two seconds later. If he had just openly admitted that he liked them and didn't try to deny it, he didn't know if he would try as hard on this relationship.

"And I wouldn't get to see your adorable red face or hear your love-filled spite for me..."

Geno groaned and shifted, as if he was going to wake up, but he suddenly stilled.

Reaper glanced over at his lover and grinned, chuckling a bit. "I know you're up, Gen..." he murmured, grabbing his chin lightly and tilting his face up as Geno opened his one eye to glare wearily at the cloaked god. "You spoiled my plan," he huffed, crossing his arms. "I heard you talking to yourself and I wanted to listen."

Reaper's grin only grew as he pressed a short kiss to Geno's teeth before pulling away again to see the angry glare that he received. "I was just talking about you, love," he answered with a bit of a flirty tone. "Yeah, what a-about!?" Geno asked, trying to keep his dignity and not just submit to his boyfriend. Reaper laughed and pat Geno's head, kissing his forehead. "Just generally how wonderful you are. I'm really lucky to have a boyfriend like you, you know."

Geno pulled away and crossed his arms, looking in the opposite direction from his lover. "You're really going to just ramble about how wonderful I am while I'm asleep...? What about when I'm awake, asshole...?"

Reaper was a bit surprised by the words that he heard from his boyfriend, but he wasn't unfamiliar with it. Geno often said things like that, in a way that it was obvious he wanted him to do it, but then he would immediately deny it. Oh well, he liked messing with him anyway.

He floated around to see Geno's blushing face and chuckled, leaning in. "So you want me to tell you just how much you mean to me~..." he purred, mentally grinning and maybe squealing at how cute Geno was right now. He loved his little waifu.

"Wh-What?! No!" he exclaimed, before not being able to hold back that kitten yawn that escaped him because he had just woken up. "I-I don't, you jerk! I don't care!" "Really~?" Reaper frowned, pretending to pout. "But _I love you so much_...~" "I said I don't care! Leave me alone!" "Aw...~ But you just said that you wanted me to tell you how wonderful you are...~!" "I-I-I did! But I didn't mean it!"

You see what he meant? Geno would never admit to him liking the flirting, but he knew he did.

"I don't like it, asshole! Get that look off your face!"

"You do, though~"

"I don't!"

"You do!"

"I don't!"

"Do~"

"Don't!"

"Do~"

"Don't!"

"Do~"

"Don't!"

"Don't~"

"Do!"

"Aha!"

Geno, confused, blinked, taking a second to let the declaration sink in before letting out a frustrated scream.

"Why do you have to be so insufferable!?"

"Because I love you," Reaper smiled, tilting his chin up.

The god was bursting with happiness at how wonderful and flustered he was able to make Geno. As stated many times, he cherished his boyfriend and his love that he shared in his own tsundere way.

Geno just huffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right..." he muttered, pushing the cloaked skeleton's hand away. "It's true!" Reaper exclaimed, trying not to laugh. "I love you more than the multiverse, Gen! Stop being such a tsundere, love."

"You little- MMPH-"

The little glitch tried to refuse Reaper's words, but he was cut off with a kiss by his boyfriend. He tried to pull away, but the embodiment of death cupped his cheeks and forced him to continue kissing him. That is, until he pulled away five seconds later.

"You need to learn to shut up sometimes and accept my affection, Geno~" he purred, pulling away from his now furious lover.

Geno seemed very pissed at his boyfriend, but didn't say anything as he wished, crossing his arms. "Finally obeying my wishes~?"

"Just leave me alone, Reaper..." he muttered, glaring at the grass in the Save Screen. "I wouldn't obey anything you said, even if you gave me a million gold for it." The god frowned and pulled away a bit, settling himself cross-legged in the air. "I'm hurt." "Be so without informing me."

Reaper frowned for real this time, looking down at his boyfriend, realizing that he might have pushed too far. "Sorry, love, I didn't mean to go so far..." he apologized, seeming to be the hundredth time he uttered those words. He was just lucky Geno understood and forgave him. It would be a bit hypocritical, though, if he didn't accept the apology because he was prone to going too far with his own tsundere act as well.

"It's fine..." Geno sighed, holding out a hand for him to hold with a small smile. "I know how you are by now." "Do you?" Reaper laughed, admiring the person who stole his soul. "Of course I do. We've known each other for so long." "Five years?" Reaper thought aloud, shrugging afterwards. "I don't really know." "Time doesn't mean anything to us, though, does it?" Geno said, scooting closer to his lover. "I suppose not," Reaper chuckled again, patting the head of his boyfriend. "I'm immortal and we could say you are too." "I'm not technically." "I know."

"But I don't care... I just want to spend as long as I can with you..."

"I do too..."

Reaper was determined to open this tsundere's heart no matter how long it took...


	4. Further the Pain - Afterdeath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some sad, Afterdeath Angst for my angst-lovers to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Character Death

Sitting as lonely as ever in the Save Screen, a little glitch clutched onto a red fabric, crying into it as if his tears would bring it to life. His misery echoed around the small void he called home as he counted down the minutes his savior would be here again to bring him his final relief.

Death...

A reaper who had fallen in love with a dying mortal...

He would see the consequences of his actions and finally do what was right. Put him at peace like the rest of the dying souls he has done so to over the years.

After all, if he truly loved him, he would do what made him happy. What needed to be done so he could lay at ease with the rest of his kind. What needed to be done so that Reaper avoided any further punishment for slacking off at work as well, just because of him.

_5..._

_4..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1.._

"Honey, I'm home~!" Reaper called teasingly into the void, closing the portal that he had made to visit the little glitch. His amusement didn't last, though. The cries of his dear beloved reached his ears, morphing his face into immense concern as he floated over to check on him.

Geno looked up at him, the glitch that was temporarily covering his eye fully gone, letting the gore of the melting socket reach Reaper's eyes. Both blood and translucent red tears mingled on his scarf, making the god unsure of which was which. "Geno, what happened...?" he asked softly. He was trying not to push, but it was hard to tell if the smaller got that message or not.

"Reaps..." he croaked, in almost a broken way. "When's my time...? Why do you come here and stall...? When is the time I can finally be happy..? Be free being dead..?"

Frozen, all the god could do was lower himself to the ground, almost in a stunned and defeated way. No... He couldn't... He couldn't take the life of the only one who's ever made him happy... The only one that's made him smile genuinely in millennia... The only one that could truly accept him for who he was and not just what his position entailed... He couldn't... So how was he expected to...

"Y-You're not happy with me...?" was all he could ask, dumbfounded at the prospect. Maybe he was just still scared he'd be reaped one day anyway...?

Geno seemed hesitant to answer the question, which only broke his soul further. "I-It's f-f-fine... I sh-should've known th-that y-y-you'd be j-just like everyone e-else..." He rubbed at his eyes furiously, as if he was trying to hold back his own tears.

"R-Reaper, I-..." he found his voice breaking as he stared up at the weeping god. It wasn't that he ever felt unhappy with him. In fact, both of them being Sanses, they generally shared the same humor with puns and knock-knock jokes, but they were also both able to find a shared interest in darker jokes, mostly because of their pasts. Not to mention that Reaper's flirts sent him into crazes of wanting more and more attention and compliments. If only to temporarily feel better about himself.

So, of course, he found happiness with the god... But his own pain was just too unbearable to be ignored.

"I-I love y-y-you, R-R-Reaper, b-b-but e-everything just h-hurts t-t-too much... I-I-I n-need you t-t-to e-end i-it..." He'd be forever grateful if Reaper reaped him right now, but if he chose to keep him alive, he realized that he wouldn't resent that either. He had no idea what the future held in store. Maybe if he lived he would look back on this moment and scoff at himself for being so naïve? Or maybe he'd still hold the same longing he felt right now to embrace the cold arms of death for one last time...

"I-Is that your choice...?" he asked, doing everything in his power to keep his voice steady and his reputation firm as he got ready to reap the one he loved. Stars, please say this was a horrible dream... That he'd wake up and he could see his Geno just peacefully slumbering in the Save Screen, unburdened by the mater of these opinions. Or that he'd deny the choice of the reaping and say it was all just some cruel joke he had set up to scare him...

Both of those scenarios were unlikely, though. He knew that. Believing that this wasn't true, however, was much easier than any of that.

Geno seemed to hesitate, thinking over the consequences of both. He mostly kept himself in mind, not even sure if the god of death would feel anything at the end. What if he was just some toy to him because no one else was able to touch him or submit to him as easily as he was? And he was conveniently broken and barely able to protect himself, not to mention.

His choice wasn't as easy as he had hoped, but eventually, he did say the words that the silence was craving to here. "Yes..." he whispered in a tiny voice. "Reap me..."

Immediately, a cry of anguish escaped Reaper's mouth before he could hold it in. "No..." he whispered, collapsing onto his knees. "No, no, no, no, no..." He repeated that word over and over again until he found himself not able to produce the sound over his cries. He hugged the small glitch, kissing him softly on every place of his skull, as if he was trying to save him or change his mind. Geno remained firm on his decision, but that didn't stop him from soaking in the attention and returning a little of his own.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry..." the bleeding skeleton mumbled, drawing Reaper in for a final, tender kiss. Both of them held on as if they didn't want to let go. They knew the unbearable agony that would be caused very shortly. But in Geno's mind, it was for the better. The god had better things to do than to waste his strife and safety on a little glitch. Plus, even if it was a bit of a selfish thought, he knew Reaper would do whatever he asked, no matter the pain that would surely ensue.

Even though their lips remained locked for minutes, they pulled away all too soon, the embodiment of death sobbing like it hurt his very core to do this. Maybe that's because it did.

"I-I-I'm w-waiting..." Geno finally said with a smile pierced with agony. "M-My s-soul is now f-f-finally y-yours..."

Reaper stood up silently, holding his hand out for Geno to do the same. They both took a few painstaking steps back, gazing at each other for long seconds until the god held a curved-bladed weapon in his hand. "I love you..." he whispered softly, hoping that Geno felt the meaning in those words as he spoke them. "I love you too..." he replied quietly, a delicate smile on his face, different than the one just seen earlier. It was the smile he had grown to adore for quite a while.

Reaper stepped closer, raising his scythe up slowly. With a nod of the other's head, he took the soul of the most precious thing that had ever existed to him.

"I hope you're happy now..."


	5. Sorrow Can Change - Afterdeath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happier ending to my previous oneshot!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the re-used text will be italicized, so feel free to skip it or read up as a refresher!

_Sitting as lonely as ever in the Save Screen, a little glitch clutched onto a red fabric, crying into it as if his tears would bring it to life. His misery echoed around the small void he called home as he counted down the minutes his savior would be here again to bring him his final relief._

_Death..._

_A reaper who had fallen in love with a dying mortal..._

_He would see the consequences of his actions and finally do what was right. Put him at peace like the rest of the dying souls he has done so to over the years._

_After all, if he truly loved him, he would do what made him happy. What needed to be done so he could lay at ease with the rest of his kind. What needed to be done so that Reaper avoided any further punishment for slacking off at work as well, just because of him._

_5..._

_4..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1.._

_"Honey, I'm home~!" Reaper called teasingly into the void, closing the portal that he had made to visit the little glitch. His amusement didn't last, though. The cries of his dear beloved reached his ears, morphing his face into immense concern as he floated over to check on him._

_Geno looked up at him, the glitch that was temporarily covering his eye fully gone, letting the gore of the melting socket reach Reaper's eyes. Both blood and translucent red tears mingled on his scarf, making the god unsure of which was which. "Geno, what happened...?" he asked softly. He was trying not to push, but it was hard to tell if the smaller got that message or not._

_"Reaps..." he croaked, in almost a broken way. "When's my time...? Why do you come here and stall...? When is the time I can finally be happy..? Be free being dead..?"_

_Frozen, all the god could do was lower himself to the ground, almost in a stunned and defeated way. No... He couldn't... He couldn't take the life of the only one who's ever made him happy... The only one that's made him smile genuinely in millennia... The only one that could truly accept him for who he was and not just what his position entailed... He couldn't... So how was he expected to..._

_"Y-You're not happy with me...?" was all he could ask, dumbfounded at the prospect. Maybe he was just still scared he'd be reaped one day anyway...?_

_Geno seemed hesitant to answer the question, which only broke his soul further. "I-It's f-f-fine... I sh-should've known th-that y-y-you'd be j-just like everyone e-else..." He rubbed at his eyes furiously, as if he was trying to hold back his own tears._

_"R-Reaper, I-..." he found his voice breaking as he stared up at the weeping god. It wasn't that he ever felt unhappy with him. In fact, both of them being Sanses, they generally shared the same humor with puns and knock-knock jokes, but they were also both able to find a shared interest in darker jokes, mostly because of their pasts. Not to mention that Reaper's flirts sent him into crazes of wanting more and more attention and compliments. If only to temporarily feel better about himself._

_So of course he found happiness with the god... But his own pain was just too unbearable to be ignored._

_"I-I love y-y-you, R-R-Reaper, b-b-but e-everything just h-hurts t-t-too much... I-I-I n-need you t-t-to e-end i-it..." He'd be forever grateful if Reaper reaped him right now, but if he chose to keep him alive, he realized that he wouldn't resent that either. He had no idea what the future held in store. Maybe if he lived he would look back on this moment and scoff at himself for being so naïve? Or maybe he'd still hold the same longing he felt right now to embrace the cold arms of death for one last time..._

_"I-Is that your choice...?" he asked, doing everything in his power to keep his voice steady and his reputation firm as he got ready to reap the one he loved. Stars, please say this was a horrible dream... That he'd wake up and he could see his Geno just peacefully slumbering in the Save Screen, unburdened by the mater of these opinions. Or that he'd deny the choice of the reaping and say it was all just some cruel joke he had set up to scare him..._

_Both of those scenarios were unlikely, though. He knew that. Believing that this wasn't true, however, was much easier than any of that._

_Geno seemed to hesitate, thinking over the consequences of both. He mostly kept himself in mind, not even sure if the god of death would feel anything at the end. What if he was just some toy to him because no one else was able to touch him or submit to him as easily as he was? And he was conveniently broken and barely able to protect himself, not to mention._

He also kept in mind the possibility of change from his misery, though. The reaper was gazing down at him, awaiting the glitch's choice with patience. One would say he didn't even want to hear the words. He seemed so broken, his eyes dull and flat, masking his emotion although his tears proved otherwise that he wasn't feeling anything.

Geno barred his teeth, looking away. Reaper showed him nothing but kindness and consideration, loving him with the soft, playful energy of a puppy. Nothing exchanged yesterday seemed present in the conversation. He didn't know why this was so arduous. Perhaps that was a sign that his time wasn't truly up? That he would regret this later if he let the god reap him? Well, he probably wouldn't be around to regret it, but the multiverse would.

"No..." he finally uttered, silence swallowing his words as the other waited for him to elaborate. "I'm not sure I'm ready to leave this world yet..."

A sigh of relief was released from the god as he kneeled down and hugged him as tight as he could. "Thank the gods..." he muttered, nuzzling Geno as if he were a precious thing. "Stars... Thank the gods..."

The glitch didn't say anything else, just weakly hugging his lover with tender care. His mental stability was still hanging on the hinges just barely, but as the god's grip tightened, he knew that he wouldn't let this happen again.

"Gen..." he whispered, fitting his face in the crook of his neck. He inhaled softly, as if he partly couldn't believe that Geno was alive and resting in his arms. "Gen... Don't you _dare_ ever scare me like that again... I was so scared..."

"I won't..." the scarfed skeleton let out a broken cry, more tears pouring down his face. "I won't..."

That seemed to be all Reaper wanted to hear, although, he wasn't entirely sure what was uttered was true. Either way, he didn't want to see his small, little Genocide in a situation like that again. He looked defeated, broken, and in pain. He was partly surprised he agreed not to do it, but he was so, _so_ grateful. It kind of pained him to know, however, that, maybe in another multiverse entirely, he didn't get this lucky.

"Good, love... Now hush yourself... Cry out whatever's left in there and then leave it in the past..."

The void was filled with sobs for the next estimated half-hour as both skeletons cried to their souls content, talking briefly about the incident before promising to leave it behind them.

**~A Few Years Later~**

Groaning softly, a small skeleton tossed and turned in his bed, yawning softly as the gentle rays of the sun beamed onto his face. He rolled over to the other side of the bed, frowning as he felt the cold fabric that his husband had seemingly abandoned awhile ago. Light chatter was audible from downstairs, making a certain glitch crack open his one good eye and force himself up.

He stretched out, his spine popping, making him wince slightly before slipping off the bed. he shuffled on a pair of slippers, yawning again before making his way down the hallways towards the stairs.

A conversation between his two kids and his husband was going on, Goth bragging about how he was top of his class and Raven bragging about how good he was at tennis. Reaper seemed to listen to the two ramble, knowing they were trying to impress him and gain his approval, which they both had received.

Geno wandered to the kitchen, seeing both his children sitting at the table and Reaper attempting to make breakfast quite well actually. Then again, it was just waffles made with a waffle iron. They were slightly burnt, but giving him the benefit of the doubt, last time he tried to make eggs, Goth ended up throwing up and Geno had to scold him for it.

"'Morning," Geno greeted, waving at his two sons which jumped out of their chairs to hug him.

"Mom!" they both exclaimed, hugging him happily. "You're up!"

"Yep," the glitch chuckled, planting a gentle kiss on each of their skulls. "How did my two babies sleep?"

"Mom, we aren't babies anymore!" Raven protested, Goth agreeing with him for once.

"You'll always be my babies, though," he chuckled, patting them both before turning to his husband.

Reaper was just smiling at the scene in front of him, before snapping up, realizing he had his lover's attention. "Good morning, babe. How'd you sleep?" the god asking, floating over to the table to set Goth and Raven's plates down.

The two children abandoned their mom, for the time being, instead going to eat the slightly charred waffles that were made specifically for them.

"Slept pretty good. 'Sides that, though. What's gotten into you to encourage you to make breakfast?" Geno asked with a slight chuckle. Tiredly rubbing his eye, he made his way to his partner's side, nuzzling him and wrapping his arms around him softly.

"You seemed so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you. Plus, the kids were starting to get impatient," the embodiment of death answered, slinging his arm around Geno's waist. "You seem tired still, love. Was I right to let you sleep?"

"Mmm... Maybe..." he answered stubbornly, not outright admitting that he appreciated the extra time to rest. Being in the godly realm living with his husband really did a number on him sometimes.

Chuckling, Reaper kissed his temple before turning to his kids, faintly hearing them bicker about something unimportant. He didn't bother asking what the disagreement was about, knowing it was over something meaningless. "Will you two stop arguing?" he asked sternly, yet almost in a gentle way.

The god was passive around his family, so even if he did get mad, it wasn't as mad as he could get. Anyone unrelated to him or not considered a friend was quick to get harsh treatment if needed to. It was just in his nature, maybe, being the god of death. The end all beings face. Well, besides his beloved Genocide and their kids.

They both quieted down upon seeing their mom nod in agreement with Reaper before his eyes slipped shut.

"Hey, kids. After you're done with breakfast, go set us up a movie in the living room. I'm going to put your mom back to sleep really quickly.

Receiving confirmation from both of them, he shifted his hold on his husband before picking him up bridal style, surprising Geno. The smaller skeleton tried to squirm out of Reaper's hold, but it seemed to be no use as the god was unfazed and his hold never slacked.

Giving up rather quickly, the glitch just resorted to pouting, feeling like a child being carried up to their room by their father to be put to bed. His tsundere side did not approve.

The door to their room creaked open, Reaper walking straight to their bed and laying Geno down softly on his side of the bed. He smiled at the other, receiving a rather hesitant smile back. That was good enough for him.

He pulled the blankets over the other, watching as his eye closed softly. "Yanno, you're an asshole for sending me back to bed. You act like I'm sick."

"Love, you stayed up past twelve waiting for me to come home last night. You deserve some rest."

He earned a sigh in response, Geno turning his back away from his as he snuggled into the covers. "You aren't wrong..." he muttered. It was unclear which sentence he was replying to, but at least he volunteered to get some sleep.

"Good..." Leaning down to kiss his forehead, Reaper lingered there to plant a few short kisses near his bad eye too, before slowly retreating. "Get some more rest, love... I'll wake you before noon..."

The god turned and left, closing the door behind him before disappearing to deal with the children.

Geno smiled to himself, feeling at peace with the world around him. He wished he could've showed past him his life now. So happy, peaceful, and complete. Sure, it was still full of its own set of ups and downs, but he was never more happy to be alive than he was now.

I guess it's just proof that things always get better...


	6. Not Another Cliché - Crossmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a change of pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Self-negligence

Cross walked quietly down the hall, Nightmare by his side. Their hands were intertwined and they were both smiling, happy just being in each other's presence. It was around night time, despite the never-ending night cycle this world was stuck in. Cross had decided he'd rather go to bed instead of watching the horror movie with everyone else downstairs, so his boyfriend offered to walk him to his room in exchange for missing some of the movie. He reassured his boyfriend, though, that he wouldn't miss much, considering he had seen the film several times.

"Looks like we're here, Crossy," Nightmare pointed out, untwining their hands and planting a small kiss on the other's cheek. "See you when you wake." Cross smiled adorably at this and his cheeks flushed. He waved to Nightmare as he walked away, who waved back with one of his tentacles before disappearing.

Cross' smile faltered before it fell once his boyfriend disappeared. He sighed and turned around, gripping onto the door, pushing it open, then stepping in. He closed it swiftly, locking it, and started walking to the ensuite. His eyesights were dull, no longer bright like they were around his boyfriend.

_Boyfriend..._

He was growing to hate that word ever-so-slowly. It left a bitter taste in his mouth every time he spoke or even thought the word.

He entered the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror, taking in all the imperfections about himself. The bags under his eyes, his dull eyesights, his slightly messed up and wrinkled outfit, so much more...

He hated how he was doing this to himself. Forcing himself to be nice just for the sake of pleasing another. It tore him up inside. And Nightmare used that without knowing it.

He didn't really love the octopus. He was just doing it to make his majesty happy. His one duty after he was rescued from his old, broken AU was to serve Nightmare. So when the other found himself confessing to the monochromatic skeleton, he didn't have the will in him to say no.

_Nightmare never looked so happy..._

The gang noticed soon after the confession that the two were dating and congratulated them. No one seemed to see through his act. Killer seemed to have his suspicions, but he never admitted them and they soon vanished.

He was no longer really considered the king's servant, but he still treated himself as one sometimes. As long as he remained by the side of Nightmare, he would never not consider himself a servant. He was one and that would stay that way. Even if his feelings changed and he loved the tar-covered skeleton. It's kind of hard to fall in love with someone, however, that always has a negative aura about them.

He gripped the edge of the sink, having a little staring contest with himself as he got lost into thought. He needed to take a bath to wash up his bones. They were starting to turn color just slightly from the negligence he gave them. So, reluctantly, he stopped staring at himself and turned to the bath that was being him, emotions gone. He took a step forward and bent down, reaching forwards to turn the knob. Cold water started filling the tub, although it quickly trailed down the drain. The monochrome skeleton mentally facepalmed himself and pushed the plug in, blocking the drain off. Because of this, the water started collecting at the bottom.

He was satisfied for now and before standing up to strip, he turned the knob to the hottest setting. He left the ensuite for the time being and went over to his closet, going to pick out something he could change into for bed. He furrowed his 'eyebrows' in concentration, looking over his wardrobe before eventually picking a plain black tee and some fluffy white pajama pants.

He threw them on his bed for now and stripped off his clothes, throwing them in a corner for now, grabbing the clothes he was wearing to bed before stepping back into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and muttered something, setting the clothes on the sink-top and turning the bathwater off, stepping into it without flinching at the high temperature. He sighed, this time in a more relaxed way, sinking down into the water.

This was maybe the one thing that could take all his problems away.

A nice, hot bath...

He yawned, letting weariness overtake him. Nightmare was no longer a concern in his mind.

At least not for now...


	7. Two of a Kind - Fell!Poth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was originally written for Lotus' birthday, so keep that in mind while reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Injury, theft

The worn soles of scarlet boots slammed against the concrete, heavy pants escaping their owner's chest as he glanced back at his pursuers, almost tripping multiple times if it weren't for his partner at his side pulling him along. In his arm he held a bundle of cloth, containing what he could only assume something valuable. He was never actually told.

His more open and flowy garments lashed about in the wind and the running only irritated the crack on his ankle further, a crimson color dripping from the wound. He could feel the blood, but he had more important things to worry about. They were so close losing their pursuers in the maze of alleys they had come accustomed to in the few years they have lived here.

Hearing cursing under his partner's breath, he looked up before curling his lip and stealing another look back. The gang has just rounded the corner they had whipped around prior, a pained scowl making its way onto his face.

Goddammit, couldn't they just leave them alone?! Of course not! He had insisted on smuggling whatever was in the godforsaken bundle! The more injured skeleton was told it was for a job, but he seriously doubted a cracked ankle was worth whatever they were getting for taking this.

Growling, he glanced back up again, before letting go of the other's hand and speeding up, gesturing him to follow. The pain only flared in his ankle, causing him to grimace and snap at the other, pushing up his hood up slightly.

The taller skeleton didn't seem to like him taking charge, but could agree with the fact that they needed to speed up if they were going to get away with this. He saw the other's boots slow him down temporarily, scrapping against the hard ground and ruining the bottoms more, as he left the connection of alleyways, coming to an empty street. The abandoned part of town where people did most of the forbidden shit that they seemed to love doing. He suddenly sprinted left and he followed, glancing back at their pursuers, seeing them close to giving up. Flashing them a grin, he took after his partner, fit enough to keep up with the other's stamina and speed. Although, he was a bit surprised he was able to run with that sort of injury inflicting him. He walked off a lot of shit. It must not hurt that bad if he's continuing to run on it, he thought, at least.

"We've almost lost them!" the other shouted to the cloaked skeleton up ahead. "You know where to go!"

He received a nod as the other turned the corner again before dipping into another alley, out of sight. The one chasing the smaller followed his movements and they both crept back until they were out of sight and around a corner. Their pursuers missed them before the smaller was grabbed, the taller turning around and about to attack before he realized that's who they were supposed to meet. Sighing in relief, he pulled the smaller back, telling this mysterious figure that he was with him and indicating the bundle in the other's arms.

"Ah, Roller. I see then," the voice spoke in a low tone, reaching out their hands to take it before their hands were forced away by a knife. "Not until you give me what I want, will I give you what you want..." he hissed.

The cloaked skeleton, his adrenaline slowly fading, leaned on 'Roller' a little, but kept the bundle close to his chest. Whatever he wanted, the smaller realized, was bound to be important if he was getting all stingy about it. I mean, usually, he didn't trust the people he traded with, but this was somewhat known. He should've expected it, though. Honestly, before the mission, he seemed eager to get his hands on his prize.

"Rurik..." the voice muttered, reaching out behind him before holding out another clothed bundle. "No need to be so violent..."

This man either had balls of steel, or he was naïve. The smaller was going for the latter, to be honest. Rurik and violent just mixed so well that telling him to detach his nature from it was practically begging to be electrocuted by the weather on the grass outside when it's sunny. It doesn't work that way.

Taking the buddle in his hands, the smaller skeleton exchanged the bundle with the other person, which Rurik took from him almost immediately and unwinded it just a little before he nodded a little, his auburn stars peering at the other before he turned around. "Watch your back, Turner. You have some guts about you, but, well." A short laugh escaped him, amusement clearly not the leading emotion. "Continue and I might just make a ravishing painting with them."

He gave him a warning glare, his deep and serious eyelights staring him in the soul. He grabbed the skeleton with the broken ankle by the arm. "Let's go, Cupcake," he commanded, walking away from the scene, dragging 'Cupcake.' He received no answer from either of them, the area being draped in silence before they turned back onto the street again, checking and double-checking to make sure they weren't going to be caught before they made their way out.

Cupcake limped along, gripping onto Rurik's arm tightly as he squeezed his empty eye socket shut, the other one, containing the shining, red eyelight becoming a bit hazy as he tried not to worry about the pain and pressure he put it through. He had been through worse, after all.

A sudden and loud curse flew from his mouth as he collided with the ground, an uneven patch of sidewalk having startled him. Groaning and hissing, the smaller skeleton tried in vain to push himself up, his one broken ankle finally having the shits of him. He haphazardly reached up for anything to grip onto to hold him, as a kind of crutch, before he felt warm fingers intertwine with his and pull him up. Leaning manly on Rurik, Cupcake thanked him quietly, pleased he didn't appear mad at him in any sense.

"Careful, Lotus..." a gruff voice mumbled, keeping his voice purposely quiet. "Hate from anyone to take you as weak, huh..?" His hot breath tickled the smaller's face and consequently made his cheeks flare. He didn't respond but just nodded, trying to walk by himself to prove to both society and Rurik that he was not weak. That he could tough out a broken ankle. Unfortunately, he had lost his adrenaline rush when they turned into that alleyway. It may have been just a small crack before, but now, it had certainly spread further. This is what he gets for doing things Rurik's way, he supposed. Recklessness didn't suit him.

Pulling away from his boyfriend and even trying to stand on both feet proved fruitless and he clung to his jacket, softly shaking his head. He would've ended up on the concrete again weren't it for his partner.

Rurik wasn't pleased when Lotus' grip returned to his jacket but realized that his ankle must've been seriously fucked up if he refused to walk now. Goddamn...

The stronger of the two placed their earnings in the hands of the smaller monster before sweeping him off of his feet and sighing. "Guess this is how we'll get you home then," he mused, looking down at the other's flustered face with a grin. The color red could not look more pleasant on anyone else, he thought.

Lotus did not seem pleased with being carried but he knew walking by himself would only hurt more, so he bared his teeth and flushed at the bastard's confident and punishing smirk, feeling himself exhale sharply.

Home was not too far away, but the walk shared no noise between them, all the shouts, cries, and mutters being caused by other people.

The streets of Underfell never seemed to sleep, even late into the night. The time you could get the most silence and privacy is midnight to about 4 in the morning. It was wiser to commit at night, but you wouldn't be alone even then.

Rurik stared straight ahead, trusting his Cupcake to keep a firm hold on their reward for obtaining what the other person had wanted. What he was holding was extremely important and he trusted Turner not to fuck it up. Otherwise, he probably would sprawl the human's internal organs out and let him to bleed no matter if it was one in plain sight or in the deepest corners of an alley. He had checked it, though, and everything looked to be there. Exactly what he had asked for, it seemed.

Keeping his pet close and allowing him to hide his face by burying it into his chest seemed to let him relax, although his breathing came out short and choppy, a few shutters escaping him. It looked the pain was getting to him.

He didn't run, but he allowed himself to pick up the pace. He felt the lukewarm glow of faltering street lights as he continued, a slight snarl making its way on his face but no words were uttered from his mouth. One could only assume why.

Eventually, a house came into view. A rather familiar one with its worn brick steps that were coated in dried mud and peeling paint that affected the walls outside. It was much better on the inside than it did the out.

Stomping up these steps in a familiar rhythm, he pulled keys out of his back pocket, shifting Cupcake as he did so, mostly because he didn't want to drop him looking for his keys. Digging his hands deeper when he didn't feel the metal, a low growl escaped him before he groaned. A smirk quickly replaced this demeanor, however, when he smacked Lotus' ass before sticking his hands in his pocket, finding the pair he gave his lover. He laughed when he saw the flustered, pissed expression and shrugged nonchalantly.

He took the keys he found and plunged them into the lock on the door, twisting it before he heard a click and pulled them out again. He walked in, ignoring the annoyance of his companion as he quietly scolded him for doing such an inappropriate thing. Lotus knew he wasn't intending on making any advances on him in this state, so he knew that action was just a harmless little way to tease him and to see him get fired up. He never really knew why he still reacted.

The door was kicked shut and locked behind them before the taller proceeded to the couch and set the injured skeleton down before leaving to find the first aid.

Lotus decided to take his own liberty to inspect his broken ankle, carefully removing the boot and wincing a lot at any movement he made to get the shoe off. Seems like the crack had affected his ability to move his ankle quite a lot. That only earned a sigh out of him.

He then stripped his blood-soaked stocking off of his foot and revealed the crack, dripping fresh crimson marrow. He immediately pressed his stocking onto it, bunching it up to absorb the crimson marrow in the meantime.

He was alerted his partner was coming back by the heavy footsteps created by his boots along with the creaking of the old stairs. Rurik held a first aid in his hands and crossed the living room to get to him, setting the kit down on the coffee table, an odd silence about him. He opened the kit and grabbed the disinfectant wipes, tearing a package open with ease and turning back to Lotus, who was watching him observantly.

His hand and stocking were torn away from his ankle, allowing the other to get a good look at his crack. The only reaction he got was a scowl as Rurik smeared the disinfectant over it, staining the wipe a marrow color. Wherever the crack split into the marrow made him hiss from the alcohol coming in contact with an open wound. He simply ground his teeth against each other, trying to hold in the cries that wanted to escape him. Once his wound was clear and clean, the taller went on to bandaging him, making sure to cover all of the injury instead of just the main part where the bone had initially been affected, albeit not entirely necessary of him to do so.

The spiderweb crack stretched down his foot and up to his fibula where it extended up at least about an index finger in length. That just made him displeased, a frown etched into his features as he trailed his hand up to where the bandages had been applied, wondering if he pushed himself too hard. It didn't really matter anyway. He wasn't going to be walking on it well enough anytime soon.

Rurik had disappeared back upstairs to deal with the aid kit, but he had also taken the bundle of cloth they had obtained for their efforts.

Lotus wondered how much gold he obtained for a mission like this. It wasn't easy and they had almost gotten themselves caught on the way out. Not to mention it was kind of physically demanding to run for blocks and blocks around twists and turns to avoid getting caught. He was thankful he was in shape or else that would've been a tougher fight.

He bristled as he felt a hand on his own, not expecting it and about to slap it away before he met the russet stars that made up Rurik's eyelights. Oh, it was just him.

He sighed and felt his hand being moved away from his injury. "Now do you really think it's a good idea to go fucking with the bandages I just put on there?" A stern voice on the edge of scolding cut through the silence of the old house around them. Lotus could only shake his head. He was right, it probably wasn't a smart idea to do such a thing. It's best to leave injuries like those alone.

The sofa shifted beside him as Rurik sat down, looking at him and searching for words before he just sighed and pulled him closer. "What's wrong with you, huh?" he asked, jabbing him a little. "I'm sure your ankle hurts, but that's no reason to just mope around. Put your foot up and quit your attitude."

Lotus could only sigh and looked down at the bandages, feeling some blood soak up into there. Hopefully his wound would clot soon so he didn't have to change the bandages for a few hours. Rurik didn't seem very fond of that anyway.

With a sigh, Lotus shifted himself so his head was in Rurik's lap and he was extended out of the couch. Admittedly, he was much more comfortable. Meeting his gaze, all he could do was smile and softly laugh, his chest shaking with his amusement. This only served to make Rurik suspicious, quickly becoming defensive and asking what he was laughing at.

Lotus could only keep laughing. Honestly, it was nice to relax with Rurik after this afternoon. Admittedly, he didn't like stealing much, but it was what it was. He had a roof over his head and a capable person who cared for him. He had food and clean water. He had clothing. He had a warm bed. He wasn't exactly one to talk.

The rest of his afternoon was spent in the company of Rurik, both of them deciding to watch a movie while they heated up left-overs. Eventually, they retired for the night and headed upstairs to take it easy.

~~_~~_~~_~~

Waking up with a groan, Lotus was immediately met with the scent of his boyfriend's musk and found that he was buried in his chest. Sighing, he tried to push himself up, only to find that he was pretty much stuck there. An arm was kept around him, surprisingly tight and his ankle throbbed, leaving him indeed pretty much stuck there. He looked down at his lover's face and was met with the sight of russet stars looking back at him. Rurik's eyes were cracked open as if he was tired and the other had disturbed him by trying to escape his hold.

"Sleep in," he practically demanded, the stars disappearing as his eye sockets closed.

"Sleep in?" Lotus repeated, a bewildered frown presenting itself on his face. Why in stars' name would he sleep in? Rurik usually asked for breakfast around 8:30 and it was... 9:00, upon further inspection of the alarm clock beside the bed.

Struggling, the smaller tried to bolt up to satisfy needs that were clearly not existent right now. This elicited a low grunt of pain before he struggled for an apology. "I'm sor-" he tried, only to be cut off by yelping as Rurik's arms clamped around him and pulled him back down. "Sleep in," the taller repeated, not bothering to open his eyes. "It's your birthday, just let me handle shit for once, Cupcake."

His... birthday? Was it that time of year already?

His eyebrows furrowed. This was the first time Rurik had ever acknowledged the fact that it was his birthday. For how long they've been together, never once had he heard those words come from the other's mouth. It almost didn't feel right.

Yet it felt really nice at the same time...

He settled hesitantly back into Rurik's chest, looking at him curiously despite the other not being aware of his gaze. He then softly let his eyes shut, not able to fall back asleep because of the dull pain in his ankle but finding himself content in his partner's arms. He let his thoughts run for a while, pondering over Rurik's begrudging kindness.

It was obvious the other hadn't fallen back asleep either, his body still tense and clung to him. Of course, it was hard for him to go back to sleep. Hell, it was hard for him to get to sleep too. Usually, it was easy to get him to sleep if he didn't think about it. His body was always on the alert. Sometimes, through his expressions. You could tell if he was contemplating whether he had locked the door before he left because his eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was slightly turned down. Lotus found himself catching that look sometimes, which amused him quite a lot.

The silence and peace of the atmosphere was only ruined when the bedside alarm blared a harsh noise, signifying it was 10:00 am.

Lotus, who had managed to find himself almost asleep, groaned and blinked open his eyes, reaching to turn it off, finding himself careful with his still-broken ankle, before looking back at Rurik.

He didn't bother to open his eyes, but he was cuddled into the other's back as if the alarm disturbed him too. A small chuckle escaped him, his singular red eyelight rolling before he tried to push himself away. "Come on, Puddin'. Time to get up," the smaller skeleton said, nudging him a little with his elbow. He was only met with a growl and refusal, being pulled closer to the other's body.

It was futile to try to escape him like this, so a smarter tactic was needed. Let's see... What did the other enjoy most on a morning such as this one?

A smirk appeared on Lotus' features as he nudged him again, trying to capture his attention once more. He was met with a begrudging, 'What?' as the other buried his face deeper into the t-shirt he had haphazardly thrown on last night.

"What if I make your favorite blueberry pancakes for breakfast? Tempting offer, no?" he asked, tilting his head as he felt his grip loosen a little. He was waiting for a verbal answer. When he received silence, he just grumbled and wiggle down into the covers, being careful of his ankle. He was hoping to be able to slip out of Rurik's hold by sliding himself downwards, but he was rendered unable, as his hold was simply too tight.

"Asshat, get your hands off of me..." the smaller skeleton muttered, trying for the umpteenth time to escape the other's hold, finding the efforts pretty fruitless. However, this time, Rurik begrudgingly complied, muttering something before rolling over to stand up and get off of the bed. "You still making pancakes?" the taller mused, mostly to himself as he was already aware that was precisely his lover's intention. Just for clarification, though, he found himself looking back to see a nod from Lotus.

Even though it was his birthday, Rurik couldn't cook for shit and he wasn't in the mood for left-overs. So that meant he had to make breakfast for himself.

"Why don't I make the batter and you can cook them?" Rurik suddenly suggested, catching the smaller by surprise. A small flush appeared on his face at the startled and slightly in-awe look of his boyfriend. "What? It's your birthday and your ankle is still broken. Bathe and then come downstairs. Call me if you need any help."

Lotus watched him disappear before he sat up, stretching the leg he had his ankle had broken, yawning softly and attempting to stand, finding himself somewhat successful. He has started to hobble around on one leg but found that was met with the challenge of balance, which was hard to keep on one foot constantly. Instead, he voted his best option was either to rely on different inanimate objects or use that foot the least amount of times possible while also putting slight pressure on it. A bad idea, he knew it right away, but he didn't exactly have a lot of available options. Healers were expensive and hard to come by. He'd rather just wait it out himself.

It took him a solid minute to do a task that should be accomplished in seconds, but he pushed open the bathroom door and let the light from the window at the end of the room shine through the frosted glass. It felt rare to get a sunny day in the cold multiverse of Fell, but at least it was on his birthday, if anything. It made the usually gloomy day just a little brighter. It was already a treat Rurik had remembered the special day. He wasn't sure what he had deserved for the kindness he was given by the lottery of the universe, but he couldn't complain. Not at all.

Remembering his broken ankle, Lotus held onto the countertop and hobbled over to the bathtub, which laid on the far end of the room. He used the weak amount of magic he had to turn on the bathtub and plug the drain.

He sat down on the edge of the bathtub, slowly leaning down before carefully undoing his bandages. He placed them aside for now and looked at the healing wound in his bone. He was lucky none of it chipped, but he'd have to be off it for a month or two if he wanted it to function well again. Unless he was able to come by a healer. He wasn't entirely sure that the scenario was likely, however.

The smaller skeleton then began to strip himself, looking back to the water in the tub and seeing it rise. He sighed and threw near the sink before carelessly ridding himself of anything else he had on. Looking back to the water, he hesitantly placed his good foot in by shifting his body to the side. The pleasant warmth was a comforting feeling, however, that same pleasant warmth would sting when he inserted his bad foot.

Sighing, he found the water level adamant enough for a good bath, so he shut it off and dipped his other foot in with haste. It was like a band-aid, he told himself. You just have to rip it off and then you're done.

And he was correct. The wound stung briefly, earning a slight hiss from the skeleton, but quickly, the pain died down. He was finally able to comfortably fit the rest of himself in a take a quick bath to rid his bones of any grime that may cover the white surface.

The process didn't take long, for he knew Rurik was waiting for him downstairs. He just wanted his blueberry pancakes and perhaps some affection as well. Let's just hope he was able to keep off his feet after satisfying the needs of the other skeleton in the household. He knew he had duties, after all. As a contributor to the relationship he had going on with Rurik, sometimes pushing himself was a necessity. The other made a habit of caring for him when situations like this occurred and he made sure to fulfill his task were the roles reversed.

Lotus rushed as fast as he could to throw on something that at least covered him and gave up on walking, simply teleporting into the kitchen downstairs. Unfortunately, this resulted in him accidentally landing flat on both of his feet, which produced a cry from him.

Rurik, who seemed to be in the living room quickly rushed to his aid but was assured by the other skeleton that what he had done was simply an unintended mistake on his part and that his injuries didn't extend past a mild discomfort to his bone. Whether that was a lie or not was left for the mind to wander because Lotus made no other hint of inconvenience. 

The batter Rurik had somehow pulled off sat in a metal bowl and a pan, greased and ready to go, was sitting on the stove, the burner underneath it turned on. Seemed like the other skeleton had really been watching him cook and didn't just stare at his ass. Which was good. It was nice to know he wasn't just aiming to get in his pants all the time. Admittedly, though, he was still a horrible cooker. He'd burn pasta. He bet if it was possible to burn water, he'd burn that too. Rurik hated the fact that Lotus doubted his competence at cooking, but he couldn't deny it wasn't true and not be lying at the same time.

It took a good fifteen minutes, but a nice stack of pancakes sat shared between two plates on the kitchen table, a call coming from Lotus to signify to his partner that food was finally ready. It became more of a brunch thing but sleeping in for once felt good, so whatever.

They both sat themselves down at opposite ends of the table, Rurik heartily gobbling down his fluffy, blueberry pancakes while Lotus consumed his at a much more mellow pace.

The taller didn't fail to notice, however, the number of pancakes the other had given himself. The same number he had been given. Two. That was a surprise. Lotus' small stature typically lead him to eat less than him. Not that there was a problem with that. He had plenty of magic and could pack a punch. As long as those two requirements were met, he was sure he was eating plenty for his size.

He decided not to comment on that, though. Lotus would think there was something wrong with what he was eating as opposed to just taking it was an observation. Despite what he may argue against it, Rurik knew he was very keen on pleasing him. Any and every comment was taken to heart and if something negative was said to him in a serious tone, he took notes on what he could do to change it and then committed to it. And it was very hard to change his mind once he set himself to it.

Usually, nothing beneficial was produced from this.

Their meal came and went in relative silence, although it was not uncomfortable in the slightest. Peace and quiet was a nice thing in Underfell.

Whenever Lotus had shoved the last bite of pancake into his mouth and set his fork down once more, Rurik was quick to take up his plate and walk over to the sink. It seemed to be a bit confusing for the smaller, but when he remembered the situation with his ankle, he just sighed. He was definitely going to be carried to the living room too, he could just feel it. It was kind of agitating for him to be in this state, but there were honestly a few things he couldn't do that he would need help with. Like scaling the stairs or something.

Making it to the living room did not require any interference, so he quickly forced himself up and started to painfully limp to the living room before the taller skeleton could intercept him.

He wasn't sure what he expected to happen, but unsurprisingly, Rurik had caught him attempting this endeavor and swept him off his feet, carrying him the rest of the way. So his hypothesis was correct.

Rurik was not easy to predict until you lived with him long enough and got to know him personally. Which, as far as he knew, was an accomplishment that had only been done once by himself. Probably the only unique thing that was also positive about him. After all, being the firstborn of Death and his only runaway child sure didn't seem like something he should be proud of.

He was plopped down on the couch, its springs squeaking from years of use. Rurik didn't join him, however, which felt very odd. Instead, he disappeared upstairs without a word.

Attentively, Lotus found himself watching the stairs, obviously wanting to know why in stars' name was he placed on the couch but then left alone. It wasn't until Rurik reappeared with something in his arms were his questions answered as to what he went off to do. The bundle he had seen yesterday had reappeared. He was curious about what his partner was planning on doing with it, honestly not thinking at all about the possibility of a present being in there.

Rurik sat down next to him and grinned, setting the bundle in the other's lap and simply making the other confused. "It's a gift," he explained simply, his grin growing wider as he saw a small blush and a surprised look arrive on the other's face in an instant. He could then see it replaced with a look of disappointment. "I didn't get you anything in return..." he muttered, looking into the starry eyelights that frequented his fantasies.

He cringed a little as he was laughed at by Rurik. Something he wasn't expecting.

"Oh, Lotus. It's your birthday. You remember my birthday every year, I don't think you need to get me a gift. That's not how birthdays go. Or did you need reminding of that?" He simply smiled at the other in the best light he could and shook his head at the other's dumbfounded expression. He'd catch up eventually.

Finally, it seemed Lotus got the memo and he smiled back at him, thanking him quietly before untying the bundle and letting it slip away to reveal two things, neatly placed next to each other in their rightful pairs.

Red boots and two identical knives are what presented themselves, standing out against the tan cloth. Both displays were beautiful. Is this what Rurik bargained for yesterday? He really had no idea it was for him. He never really assumed it was anything custom either, yet the engravings on the knives said something else.

He admired the glinting blades for a sort while before glancing up at Rurik, who seemed to be looking at him as he examined the weaponry. "What's this for?" was all he could really ask, grabbing one of them and turning it over in his hand like it were a breakable piece of china. The woodwork and carvings on the handle were incredible.

"I'm glad you asked," the taller skeleton spoke up. "I've noticed how sometimes you get in a little predicament when you fight because your scythe, bone, and blasters are more catered towards a long-range target, so when someone comes up close, you struggle to put more distance between you and them. It may take some getting used to, but I think you are fully capable of wielding a knife like the one you are now. I can teach you, if you want." He pulled out his own weapon, which was slightly bigger and more adjusted to his hold.

Lotus honestly was left with a loss of words. He knew there was thoughtfulness behind the gift now and found himself smiling wide, unable to help it.

Next was the boots, a deeper crimson than the ones he currently wore and had much thinner laces.

"Those have better soles in them and I'm told they're a lot more comfortable too. I would have you try them on, but I guess I didn't think you'd hurt your ankle the day before your birthday. An oversight on my part, I'll admit."

Lotus sighed and shook his head. "It's... fine, Rurik. It's the thought that counts, right?" He felt overwhelmed with emotion, but he just grinned and placed the gifts aside, for now, instead throwing his arms around the other's neck and pulling him down for a kiss, unintentionally bold with his actions. But they do say actions speak louder than words.

Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or the next day, but soon he'd get to put the gifts he got to use and quite possibly kick ass.

Honestly, this was already winding up to be a good birthday.


	8. Time Heals - Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I love Poth, but Gray is also a fantastic ship that doesn't get a lot of love.

"Goth?"

A dull hum rang out mutely in the room, the demigod not turning to look at the other person in the room. He recognized that as his mom's voice and he heard the shuffling of slippers behind him confirming this.

"Here's some hot chocolate. It'll at least cheer you up," his mom offered, bending down next to where he was, curled up with a blanket in front of the fire. He didn't seem too pleased when Goth shook his head in response to his offer, his face turning a bit stern. "Goth, you've been crying on and off all day. You need to have something. I know how... upset and broken up you are over all of this. Trust me, we all are, but there's nothing I can do. And you have to move on eventually."

The glare he received in return was ignored as the mother set the mug down on the brink next to him. "I'm not saying you have to move on now, son. These things take time." He leaned down and kissed his forehead before he left the living room and went back into the kitchen.

The dejected monster had been staring at the ground for longer than he could remember. He wasn't going to bother picking up the mug before he remembered what his mom said and begrudgingly did it. The memories the mug and the taste of the hot chocolate stood out to him significantly, sending a fresh batch of tears to his eyes.

He set the mug down and hugged his blanket tighter, burying his face in the wooly fabric before he soaked it with all his sorrows, his small frame shaking. He was in such agony currently. He felt hopeless. He also thought this was his fault. It felt like his fault. Everything felt like his fault right now. Just what did he do that made Palette pick _her_ over him? Was it his attitude. His manner? The way he dressed?

It wasn't unreasonable, the girl was nice and sweet and just a little timid and shy, but her personality was more like cardboard to him. He didn't get what was so good about her in the long run. But Palette seemed to have fun with her more than he ever did with him. The worst part was the fact that Palette seemed oblivious to his feelings.

How worthless was his presence to him that he had-

An arm wrapped around him, startling the small skeleton. He peaked out of where he was hiding in a baby blue blanket to see another one of his childhood best friends. Cray.

The skeleton didn't look very happy today like he usually was. He never really was chipper, super excited happy like Palette had always been, but he was usually positive and kept a smile going on his face. Now he just looked grim.

Goth didn't really like that expression, but it reminded him that Cray was taking this seriously. He always took these kinds of things seriously and he appreciated that.

He leaned into Cray's side slowly, closing his eyes and suppressing his tears. "C-Cray-... H-He-..."

"I know." He was cut off by Cray's voice. He could feel his arm rubbing his back, trying to soothe him a little. "Your parents told me what happened. What a bitch."

For the first time, there was nothing said in response to the vulgar language directed at Palette. Not that he encouraged it either.

It was always known that Cray wasn't a big fan of Palette, but he always encouraged him to try. Especially when he found out about Goth's infatuation for the artistic skeleton. Of course, the distaste for the skeleton never really faded. He could never make sense of why Palette bothered him so much. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't count how many times he heard Goth either cry over him or stress over what he would think of the way he presented himself or whatever Goth was fretting about when it came to him. He did it all the time.

"Goth?" His friend's silence worried Cray because usually, those words would've warranted some sort of response, but he received nothing from that. As if it had just zipped by like a car on the highway.

The smaller skeleton came around, though, and looked up at his friend, his hand coming up to wipe his tears. "What is it, C-Cray...?" he asked. "I-If you couldn't tell, I-I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

A sigh escaped the taller skeleton. "I know you aren't after what had happened. No one is. But you have to think ahead. Thinking to the past only hurts more. And it takes longer to get over."

"How can I? Most of my important memories are tied to him. Most of my recent memories are tied to him. _I loved him_ , Cray. And now I'm going to be pushed aside because he's going to be too busy with her. And that hurts," he explained, now looking to the fire. "It hurts worse than being stabbed one-hundred times over. Even if I'm supposed to be happy for him, how can I be...?"

More tears rose to his eyes, which caused Cray to pull Goth closer to him, wrapping both his arms around his heartbroken friend. "I know how you feel, and I can guarantee you this, it will get better if you put in a little effort to make it be. He's not the only thing in the world, so take some time to step back and just relax."

"Th-thanks, Cray... I-I really appreciate it..."

Cray wasn't sure whether to be glad or not that he had completely overlooked the part where he had mentioned how he had been through a similar experience. It was probably for the best, though, that he did. Now wasn't the time to find out about his lasting infatuation with him. That would most likely be detrimental to his cause.

"Of course, Goth. Anything for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's the girl? Well, I had an OC in mind, but really, it's up to your own imagination. It doesn't really matter to me who you put as Palette's secret lover.


	9. Style - Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this oneshot, they are both humans and Cray is an aspiring stylist. That's about all you need to figure out this chapter.

Being careful to keep his presence in the living room a secret, Cray crept forward towards the couch, where his boyfriend was sitting down, reading a book. Slowly yet surely, he was able to creep up right behind him and before Goth could even yelp, his glasses were yanked off of his face.

The short human quickly turned around to meet the grinning face of Cray a few inches away. Sighing, he reached out for his glasses, only to see them higher than they were before in his boyfriend's grasp. "Cray..." he warned, getting on his knees and waving his hand in the air to try to get his glasses from his trickster ass of a roommate he had. "Give me back my glasses, Cray!"

The mentioned human laughed, getting a glare as Goth presumed he was laughing at him. "I'll give them back on one condition, dear." Once this reached the ears of the other person, he sat back down on the couch, crossing his arms and looking at him warily. "What 'condition?'" he asked, not sure what he was entirely implying there. Then he saw Cray pull out what looked like a hairbrush from behind his back. He hadn't noticed he had it with him before.

He narrowed his eyes at the hairbrush, the squint only confirming it was said object and also earning a laugh from his boyfriend. "It's a hairbrush, babe."

Goth looked back at him and pouted. "I know that. I'm not blind just because I need glasses, yanno."

Cray snorted. "Oh right, my bad. I guess I forgot my boyfriend wasn't blind for the fifth time this month. But just to make sure... How many fingers am I holding up?" Putting Goth's glasses in the same hand he had the hairbrush in freed up his fingers so he could do the thing that never failed to make his boyfriend frustrated. He held up his index, middle, and ring finger and wiggled them around, seeing a look of frustration on the other's face and feeling like he had succeeded.

Goth didn't even respond to him, just turning around and picking up his book, frowning when he saw that he lost his page. "Goddamnit..."

Cray joined him on the couch, sitting down next to him and setting Goth's glasses to the side before pulling his embittered boyfriend into his lap and stroking his hair softly, feeling all the tangles in it. Which is essentially why he brought the hairbrush over. Goth had taken a shower earlier and let his hair air dry, so now it was messy because he hadn't bothered to brush it down. And he knew Goth would just leave it like that until he absolutely had to do something about it, which is why he was here to fix that.

He was going to college to learn how to be a cosmetologist, which is mainly why he wanted to work on his boyfriend's hair. Because it was a mess right now.

He spotted Goth reaching for his glasses and blocked him with the hairbrush. "You have to let me do your hair before you put back on your glasses. It's kinda hard to brush your hair with those in."

Goth turned his head back to look at him, seeming to contemplate something before he sighed. "Alright, fine. As long as I don't have to do it."

Cray smiled triumphantly, kissing his boyfriend's cheek quickly and thanking him before he took the brush and very carefully started pulling it through the ratty hair. He swore he could see a hint of a smile on Goth's face as he did this, meaning, hopefully, he enjoyed this. Because he wouldn't do it otherwise. Hurting him wasn't a priority any day.

Continuing to go around Goth's hair and brush out any knots, he offhandedly commented that he probably should get his hair trimmed sometime. "It's creeping down your neck. Before you know it, it'll be at your shoulders."

Goth couldn't turn to look back at him, so he couldn't read his facial expressions, which were usually a dead give-away to what he was feeling. "Is it really that bad?" he asked, maybe a hint of self-consciousness wavering in his voice.

"No, it's not bad at all, but if you want to keep it rather low-maintenance, at least when it comes to knots, you'd probably be better off with a shorter haircut," he informed, right before his hand accidentally jerked and he nicked Goth's ear, earning a loud 'Ow!' from the person on his lap.

"What was that for, Cray?" He turned to look back at said person. He looked rather guilty and startled himself, so he knew it wasn't done on purpose.

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to," he apologized, looking at the ear he had accidentally scraped against with the hairbrush. It looked a little red, but there was no scratch and no blood. Thank god.

He leaned forward and kissed the spot he had hit on his ear softly, earning a soft giggle from Goth. At least it didn't hurt anymore. It seemed to surprise his boyfriend more than it actually hurt, which made him feel better about it.

He held up the hairbrush again and Goth turned back around. Cray was extra careful brushing the remaining hair he hadn't already touched, which the person in his lap seemed to appreciate. He didn't do anything fancy with his hair, just brushing it down and doing a quick once-over to check for any more knots, setting the hairbrush down when everything appeared as it should be. Finally, he gave Goth his glasses back, which the smaller seemed to appreciate a lot.

"You look pretty," he said simply, spinning Goth around in his lap to face him. He smiled at his boyfriend, who's cheeks appeared more red as he smiled back. "Well, you do too, Cray," the smaller replied, causing him to smile more and embrace him tightly.

"I love you, Goth..." he mumbled, resting his chin against his shoulder and feeling his lover do the same.

"I know," the smaller grinned, nuzzling against Cray's neck softly. "And I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Gray because this is still a lovely ship!
> 
> And that whole 'How many fingers am I holding up?' shtick was a subtle way for me to vocalize my frustrations on people who do this to me (since i have glasses and all, shocker). It's like, how do you think I see in the shower without getting my glasses wet? I just don't wear them in the shower! I can see the general outline of shapes without seeing all the details!


	10. Flowery Fluff - Poth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short and very punny chapter about these cuties!

Goth was never far from the front of Palette's mind a lot of the time. His husband was a kind individual with an upstanding personality. You could trust him with anything and expect him to be there if you needed to lean on someone. He was perfect in Palette's opinion and there was really nothing you could do to convince him otherwise.

He watched him as he strung together flowers and little pieces of grass, obviously trying to make something and concentrating hard on it. They came out here originally because Palette wanted to practice his landscaping, but it was hard to steer his attention away from Goth and actually focus on the task at hand. He was acting unfairly cute, but it wasn't like he was complaining about it.

"Does it work...?" the smaller skeleton muttered more to himself as he held up the contraption he made before glancing over to his husband, unaware that his eyes were on him prior, although he just gave him a smile. He then started scooting over to where he was and took off Palette's hat, startling the owner and giving a confused glance at his husband. He was about to ask what that was all about before placing the woven flowers around his husband's head like a crown and smiling endearingly. "A flower crown," he explained shortly, not missing the rather confused look he got from his lover. "Because _aloe_ you _vera_ much."

It took Palette a few seconds to put two and two together before he burst into laughter causing Goth to laugh with him. Palette wrapped an arm around the smaller skeleton and set his sketchbook and pencil down before pulling Goth into a hug. The other skeleton had a slight flush on his cheeks, but just wrapped his arms back around Palette and rested his head on his shoulder, looking up and meeting his husband's starry eyelights and his grin.

"Now that was very _clover_ of _yew_ , wasn't it?" the artist asked, chuckling quietly to himself as Goth raised an eyebrow. "I can't be _leaf_ you're challenging me," he replied, his face expressing mock offense.

"Well, you _herb_ me _ripe_ , my dear," he replied, not missing Goth's pleasant giggles at his puns as he broke his demeanor in favor of partaking in this pun war.

"Well, it seems like you've got _plant_ -y of puns up your sleeve. You're hardly giving me _thyme_ to think up more!" He reached up with one hand and flicked the flower crown around his husband's head, setting it straight.

"Well, it seems like you _rose_ to the occasion. Maybe you just need more encourage- _mint_."

"I really don't know what to _sage_. You-"

"What? _Cat nip_ ped your tongue?"

Goth looked stunned before he just pouted. "It isn't _oak_ -ay for you to interrupt me like that," he huffed, nudging his husband and just seeing him smile and lean down to kiss his forehead. "Then let's just put our _tulips_ together and forget about then it, huh?" Palette offered, hearing Goth snort. "That's so _corn_ y," he countered before leaning up and leading the other into a kiss they both enjoyed.

When Goth pulled away, he just smiled at his lover, causing Palette to smile back.

Palette could tell you right now that there's no one else in the multiverse that'd make him feel quite like Goth did. There was no one who would be able to replicate the memories they've made together and the time they've spent, nor Goth's unique personality and sense of humor. And as long as the little demigod was around, he didn't need to think about that.

" _Aloe_ you _vera_ much," Goth reiterated, causing Palette to chuckle and press his forehead against his. " _Aloe_ you _vera_ much too, _chive_ got to ad _mint_."

Goth's pout returned once more when it seemed like he was out-punned, but he just leaned into him further and relaxed. It took himself a few seconds, but as soon as the smaller buried his face into his side, he could hear small giggles escaping him. He was obviously trying to hide the fact he found it humorous, but not well. It was honestly adorable.

Yep, there was no one else other than Goth that he'd ever need.


	11. A Reminder - Fell!Poth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of wholesome Uke!Rurik for the soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a drabble, so it's just a bit of practice, more than anything.

Affection wasn't ever one-sided. Although it was clear who paid fourth more affection in their relationship, the roles didn't always stick. Vulnerability grasped onto whatever it could to worm its way into his consciousness. During times like these Rurik was grateful Lotus was there to bring him back to reality. His warm, firm grasp reminding him that thoughts were just thoughts. His quiet, smooth voice reassuring him that everything was as it should be in the peace and quiet of their little home. It was almost pathetic, but Rurik clung to the affectionate reassurances. All was going to be alright.


	12. Looking Again - Fell!Poth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a wholesome reminder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another drabble, so it's not going to be long.

Certain aspects of people's personalities tended to show themselves before others. Were you to make a judgment of Lotus after meeting him once, you might have deduced that he plays his cards rather close to his chest. He'd rather stay sheltered in the shadows because the shadows didn't ask questions. However, after waking up to the sight of him every morning, Rurik could assure you that the rough exterior he displayed was hardly the whole of what he was. It was easy to forget how uptight he could be when he was greeted with a kiss and a gorgeous smile.


	13. Growth Is a Cycle That Takes Time - Fell!Poth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reflection of past events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My last drabble for today. I had a lot of fun writing these, though, so there's the possibility of me writing more.

When Lotus thought of the word growth, the first thing that popped into his head was usually the lifecycle of a flower. How a beautiful lily could start out from nothing but a seed. But growth wasn't always restricted to something physical. Which brought him to the second thing he thought about when he thought of the word. His own relationship. It wasn't something he liked to dwell on often, but it was undeniable how far he and Rurik had come. It wasn't something that worked for most people, actually. Yet here he was. And he really couldn't be happier.


End file.
